Tag Archive for A-4763

On January 9, the Governor, in a complete surprise to all parties, signed S-981, the electronics recycling bill that has been passed, pocket vetoed and passed again.

This bill, now P.L. 2016-85 clearly makes the manufacturers of certain electronic devices, responsible for the cost of their recycling. It is a true producer responsibility law.

The signing of this bill is a good example of what can be accomplished when people engage in a democracy. Individual citizens, towns and counties united to send letters, pass resolutions and inundate the Governor’s office with encouragement to sign the bill. DEMOCRACY DOES WORK…

I have waited to write about this because as in many laws, the devil is in the details. The key here is what the NJDEP will do to implement the law. This is still a question.

My primary concern is that the manufacturers will try to undermine the law by trying to continue to underpay for the recycling service then cry to the legislature that they tried to make it work, but couldn’t. DEP has the tools to stop this, and I trust that they will do so.

On January 19, the Governor pocket vetoed the e-waste recycling bill. Notwithstanding letters of support from many counties (even Republican Counties) and the Commissioner of the NJDEP, this important piece of legislation was allowed to die.

While this may be a victory for manufacturers that wanted to avoid their ethical and environmental responsibility, it may well prove to be a pyrrhic victory. As I write this and in the time that it will take to post the blog, more counties and towns are looking at canceling their electronics recycling programs. Why? Because under the law, the manufacturers are responsible for this cost…and they have managed to shift cost to us, the taxpayers. Ah, corporate welfare at its best.

Even though the recycling industry agreed to changes asked for by the manufacturers, the electronics industry, including Panasonic, Sharp, LG, Sony etc…through their association, worked to undermine the legislation. That is negotiating in bad faith…So what does that tell you about their intention of recycling the electronics?

The result of this bill’s defeat will be further images like the ones below…and these are actual images from New Jersey taken within the last few weeks.

If you cannot recycle your e-waste, call the Governor’s office to ask what to do. It is the Governor’s doing that these programs will end.

A-4763, the Electronic Waste Management Act, was voted out of the Appropriations Committee this week and is now pending a final Assembly Vote on Thursday, December 17. Essentially, this legislation, which was amended to take industry concerns into account, became mired in a series of untruths (is that a lie?) put forth by the industry.

To be clear…

1. This legislation will have NO IMPACT on the State budget…Contrary to the misinformation put out by the electronics industry.

2. The legislation will not cost manufacturers double what they are paying now to take responsibility for their products…Contrary to the misinformation put out by the electronics industry.

These are not my opinions but simple facts easily confirmed by reading the bill.

1. Allow towns and counties to stop subsidizing industry for the recycling of their materials.

2. Allow industry to do the right thing.

3. Protect the environment from hazardous materials.

4. Allow for expanded recycling of electronics.

Lastly, a number of people witnessed an industry representative loudly accost an electronics recycler after the hearing for daring to support this legislation. We now know that not only was he accosted, but his ability to recycle electronics under a contract to the industry was taken from him.

Retaliation is not professional conduct folks…and the representative who engaged in this behavior should be ashamed.